Blue
By Russell Banks, first published in Yale Review
A middle-aged Black Miami divorcee trying to buy her first car finds herself unexpectedly trapped by a vicious dog in the parking lot of the car dealership.
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Plot Summary
Ventana is a 47-year old divorcee who has been meticulously saving up money for her own car for years. Today is the day she's planned for. She brings all her money in cash in order to make the deal as quickly as possible. Nervously carrying her cash in her bra, she enters the dealership and is immediately sized up by the employees. When she heads into the lot to pick out the car she wants, she is interrupted by a vicious dog, who chases her onto the hood of a car. In her fear, Ventana leaps from car to car all the way back to the front of the lot, but the gate has been locked—she'd arrived only a half hour before closing time, and stayed too long. Panicked, Ventana calls for help, but it seems the employees have forgotten about her and gone home. She is hesitant to call the police—as a Black woman trapped in a car lot, she is afraid that they'll misconstrue the situation. Just as she resigns herself to staying the night on top of the car, a teenage boy comes by and tries to help. He calls 911, but is unable to get help. Then he calls the news, which brings a van and a crowd, but after getting the story, everyone leaves. Resigned, Ventana tells the young boy to go home. Calmer now, she appraises the dog, who is now laying quietly. She tries singing it, reminded of a song about a dog named Blue. When it remains quiet, she is emboldened to come down and walk carefully to the fence to try to climb it. When she's halfway up the fence, with escape in sight, the dog attacks silently, dragging her backwards off the fence by her leg.
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